Mycroft put down the mobile. With a bit of luck, the male Omega would still be alive when they reached the Institute. Mycroft told the driver to speed up. They had to collect Sherlock from the hospital as fast as possible.
It would be the third time he tried this. Highly irregular but Mycroft had wanted to keep Sherlock safe from the syringe and off the streets for the last five years without succeeding. He hoped that a bond could accomplish what neither the therapist, the rehab, nor any kind of threat had been able to do so far.
Mycroft looked through the file once more. It didn't contain much information, which wasn't surprising. Alphas tended to be very protective and possessive by nature. Once bonded they wouldn't let other people get too close to their bondmate. This behaviour was enforced if the bondmate happened to be an Omega. Professor Moriarty had been even more protective than a normal Alpha given his research. Almost nothing was known about the private life of the Professor. He had a son from a former bonding. The male Omega had been his fourth bondmate.
At the hospital Sherlock put up a token resistance to being dragged away. He seemed to loathe the place as much as Mycroft did. The problems started once they arrived at the Institute. Sherlock refused to leave the car. He knew what Mycroft was up to and he had no intend being an active participant in that game. With a sigh, Mycroft gave the driver a wink and a few seconds later Sherlock was slightly sedated. The driver supported him into the Institute and down the hallway to the room Mycroft indicated.
Twice before Sherlock had been locked into this same room, and twice Mycroft had to release both him and the female Omega, he had left in there with him. The first time the Omega had been in tears for the entire three days, terrified at the prospect of Sherlock getting anywhere close to her. The second time, the Omega had been very interested in Sherlock, but the feeling had not been reciprocated, ending the session when Sherlock threatened to tie her up and starve them both to death.
Mycroft left Sherlock lying on the bed. The sedative would wear of soon enough. The challenge now was the Omega. Mycroft had been surprised when he got the message.
"Professor Moriarty murdered. Bondmate still alive."
Mycroft wondered in what state said bondmate would be. Normally, a bonded Omega would become catatonic within minutes after a severed bond, especially if it happened as unexpectedly and dramatically as this. If not helped, the Omega would slip into unconsciousness and die a few hours later. Even the legal breaking of a bond always required both medical help and a therapist for the Omega involved. Still, the Omega could risk adverse reactions both mentally and physically; no matter how prepared the Omega was to the procedure. That was one of the reasons why the breaking of a bond could only be initiated by an Omega. At least legally.
According to Mycroft's sources, the Omega was found sitting beside his murdered Alpha. He appeared to have been there for at least two hours. The Omega had been able to answer a few questions, blood samples were taken, and the Omega had been allowed to change clothes, before he collapsed. He had arrived at the Institute half an hour earlier and the doctors were working on stabilising him.
Mycroft had walked down another hallway, finding the examination room. Upon entering he froze on the doorstep. The sight before him was almost comically. A small, very angry man stood in the middle of the room, holding one of the plastic chairs in front of him like a shield. One doctor and two nurses were standing out of reach, trying to calm the man down. At first, Mycroft thought he had entered the wrong room. This was not how a bereaved Omega should act. A split second and one deep breath later, Mycroft was not at all in doubt. This was indeed a male Omega, clearly broken bonded. But more shockingly, the Omega was pregnant!
xOxOxOxOxOxOx
John was fed up with everyone by now. The arrival of the Alpha didn't help at all. Why didn't they just leave him alone? Give him some rest, so he could start to think again? Start to make sense of this entire situation? He threw an angry look towards the Alpha, who most of all looked surprised. John held his ground, holding the plastic chair in front of him.
The newly arrived Alpha cleared his throat.
"Hrm, sorry to interrupt these," the Alpha paused, "proceedings."
He took a step forward, extending his right hand.
"Mycroft Holmes," he said, facing John.
John was looking from the Alpha, to the doctor, then the first, and finally the second nurse. What was the meaning of all of this? Why was he here? And where was 'here' anyway? Very slowly, he put the chair back on the ground, watching out for any moves from the Alpha. But he kept still, hand offered in a greeting. The doctor and the nurses withdrew to the back of the room, clearing the space around John. John was breathing heavily. He was nervous and confused. Nobody had given any explanations; everybody had treated him like a child or an injured wild animal.
Warily John took the offered hand.
"John," he said. Then added like an afterthought, "Watson."
The Alpha looked questioningly at him. "Watson?" he asked.
"Watson," John answered.
"I would have thought your last name to be Moriarty," the Alpha said coolly, studying John with a frown.
John didn't budge.
"Considering the circumstances," John replied, his eyes locked with the Alpha's, "I would guess, Professor Moriarty's son would not be amused if I continued to use his last name."
The Alpha didn't reply, but let go of John's hand. After a short consideration, he once more addressed John.
"I take it, that your condition allows for a relocation?"
John nodded. Still wary, he hesitantly followed the Alpha out of the room, throwing a last angry glance at the doctor and the two nurses.
"So, John," the Alpha started.
"Mr Watson to you," John cut in, attaching a "Sir" just late enough to make it obvious.
The Alpha didn't miss a beat.
"Mr Watson," he started once more. "Why are you still alive?"
Now it was John's turn to look startled.
"What? You rather I was lying dead or dying?" John almost started to giggle. Damn those Alphas, he thought, shaking his head.
"Well, on the authority of the late Professor Moriarty that would be the normal reaction of a bonded Omega to a savagely performed breaking of the bond," the Alpha stated, using his height to distinctly look down at John.
"I take it, you were in fact bonded," the Alpha arrogantly waved a hand indicating John's very apparent pregnancy.
"Bloody hell!" John's anger flashed through his body. He stopped, hands clenched into fists. "Whatever happened to the 'protective' part of being an Alpha? And what is all this about anyway?"
The Alpha had stopped in front of a door, turning to face John once more.
"I am sorry for the inconveniences. Everything will be explained to you later. Right now," the Alpha opened the door, "I would like you to wait in here. I have to make a few," the Alpha hesitated, "arrangements."
John stepped forward and into the room, before realising that it was a trap. The Alpha closed the door and locked it behind him. Furiously John spun around, but it was to late. He gave the door a kick with his foot, before turning to face the room once more, leaning his back against the door, slowly sliding down to the floor.
Exhausted. He could hardly put his thoughts into any kind of order, tired as he was. It took another three minutes before John became aware of the other person in the room. Another Alpha. John took several deep breaths. Cursing his inability to learn as much through the scenting as any Alpha would be able to. Then John cursed loudly. An unbonded Alpha? Seriously? They, whoever 'they' were, had left him in a locked room with an unbonded Alpha?!
John shuffled to his feet. God, he was tired. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?
The Alpha was lying on the bed. Sleeping. Sleeping Beauty, John's mind applied unnecessarily He almost started giggling again. This was just so far away from any kind of normality, he could think of. Kafka, John's mind provided once more unasked. Oh stop it, he told himself. He looked at the sleeping Alpha, looked at the invitingly large bed, large enough for the two of them.
Sod it, he thought, took off his jumper and shoes, and slipped under the duvet. Curling in on himself, as if he wanted to protect the little human being growing inside of him, John drifted to sleep within seconds.